Rapid and large-scale production of carbon dots by salt-assisted electrochemical exfoliation of graphite rods

Abstract

In our previous work, ions liquids and distilled water were separately used as electrolyte for electrochemical exfoliation of graphite rods to synthesize CDs with excellent behaviors. However, the expensive price of ions liquids and consuming time for distilled water both limit CDs' large-scale preparation using electrochemical exfoliation. Herein, cheap and common salt is dissolved in distilled water as electrolyte to exfoliate graphited rods for synthesis of CDs, which is able to break the above-mentioned bottleneck perfectly. The obtained CDs show similar properties with previous ones in morphology, size, surface groups, and optical behaviors. When tuning applied voltages or concentrations of electrolyte, the obtained CDs do not show obvious varies in properties and behaviors. Besides, it is found that only anode was corroded in reaction, so it is reasonably speculated that the same anions wound obtain similar results, and this hypothesis was also proven to be correct by the measured results. The solution of salt as electrolyte provide a practical way for large-scale preparation of CDs by electrochemical method due to cheap and easy-access raw material, plain equipment and convenient operation, rapid reaction and shorter consuming time.